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Twas the week before Christmas

And all through the house

We just got stirring, quiet as a mouse.

When to our amazement, the sun finally rose

The weather was cold, well, that’s how it goes.

Our relatives visits are planned for some days

We’ll see each other briefly, then part our ways,

A church service or two will remind us again

Behind all the tinsel there is something that’s plain.

Christ came as a baby to die in our place

Across the ages and down through space.

His birth would provide peace and joy

For every Mom and Dad, girl and boy.

Merry Christmas, tis the best news there is

Jesus come to earth, the story is His!

These past two weeks I have had three female relatives who turned 90.

Hard to believe they know what outhouses are and can tell you when electricity finally reached them.  Their hair is gray, their eyes still sparkle, and you have to watch what you say – their hearing aids (or lack thereof) make them quite attuned to life around them.

This afternoon is a cake and ice cream time for one of the relatives.  We’ll swap stories and laugh.  We’ll drink tea and cry.  We’ll say good bye at the end, and never know when the end will be.  Much sooner than they thought when they were 9 instead of 90.

I love these times.  Their lives have been lived in ways that I can emulate – and so I watch them closely and find out what to imitate.

And that is the mark of a well lived life – when you stare through your eyes you find others whose eyes have been awakened by what you have seen.

May you have a day of seeing as you look to those around you.

In my post secondary days of education I took culture courses.  These included things like ethics, morals, isolationism and assimilation.

I chose for my own life to be a part of the culture around me.

That has been a task that has not been easy.  My own conscience has more than once been assaulted by the possible compromises I was asked to own.  Sometimes a realignment of my own convictions meant my own small sense of truth was invaded by a greater truth.  And every once in a while I just had to stand up and buck the winds of change.

I prefer to engage our culture with hope.  I am willing to enrage the culture.

But most of all, I want to stand the  breezes of culture always with Jesus in view.  Wipe away fog, shield myself from the pelting of dust, even wear glasses to protect my eyes.  However I can see Jesus, that’s what’s important.

I had a most interesting talk with a former politician.  His view on consensus was interesting.  Basically the idea was that you start with your vision, put that forward, extract those who aren’t helpful to the fulfilment of that vision, and then you have consensus.

Of course, Obama’s and Trudeau’s election wins were related to another kind of consensus.  The idea was to poll the people, pulling from them their ideas and visions.  Then you put those all together and see if you can come up with a consensus.

The truth of the matter is probably found in context.  A fragmented group needs a vision.  A homogeneous group needs conversation. 

The recent election in the United States seems to indicate that there is a fragmented group that needed a vision.  Consensus through conversation was not about to be found.

My own inclination is towards conversation.  I think we work best when we feel together, when we agree without coercion.  But, perhaps there are times where a benevolent dictator is the best option.

OK, these are starting thoughts for an editorial in the next few months. 

Any further thoughts or feedback??